GAP protection covers the scenario where a motor vehicle is totaled in an accident or stolen and not recovered. Insurance will pay for the retail value of the car minus the deductible. If that is not enough to pay the car loan, the consumer is responsible for the...
Month: February 2014
Games Dealers Play: Inflating the Down Payment
When we evaluate a potential client's contract documents, we always check to see whether the contract accurately shows the amount paid as a down payment. A few weeks ago, we discussed the problem of some car dealerships not crediting the full down payment to a vehicle...
Games Dealers Play: Refusing to Refund the Deposit
. Some car dealerships can be quite aggressive when it comes to asking for a deposit on a car, and consumers are often persuaded to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars as a deposit. Some salesmen will say that the deposit is necessary to “hold” the car, claiming...
Connecticut pre-owned vehicle warranty protections
Consumers who buy a preowned car should not purchase someone else’s problems. They should know about Connecticut’s law that helps protect them from vehicle warranty problems. Coverage Under state law, warranties are required for a used car purchased from a dealer...
Spotting odometer tampering in a used car
Until the advent of digital odometers, tampering with the analog odometers was perhaps the most common type of fraud involved in used car sales in Connecticut and elsewhere. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration once estimated that more than 450,000 used...
Beware of hurricane damaged vehicles
Connecticut managed to avoid any extensive damage from the historic 2020 hurricane season. However, used car buyers should still be on the lookout for vehicles that may have suffered from flood damage. Often, flood-damaged cars are transported far beyond their...
What is odometer fraud?
When people in Connecticut purchase a used car, one feature they may pay particular attention to is the milage on the vehicle. In general, vehicles with lower mileages will have less wear-and-tear and thus may be more reliable vehicles. However, not all dealers are...
State law protects buyers of used cars before and after the sale
Connecticut has laws which authorized used car dealerships have to follow. These laws are there to protect customers from paying way too much for a car that has significant mechanical problems. Before the sale of a vehicle, a prospective buyer has the right to have...
An overview of Connecticut’s Lemon Law
Most residents may not know this, but our state was the first state to enact a “Lemon Law” to help car owners of defective vehicles. In fact, the program has refunded or replaced vehicles to the tune of over $60 million. Where is the Lemon Law? “Lemon Law” is not...
Financing scams run by auto dealerships
People in New Jersey use their vehicles every day to get to various places that they need to go to. However, cars do not last forever and people need to buy new vehicles from time to time. People have different options on where to purchase their vehicle, but many...
What are lemon laws?
Lemon laws provide many important protections for car shoppers, car purchasers and consumers. For that reason, anyone considering a car purchase or who has recently purchased a car should be familiar with lemon laws. What is a considered a lemon? What qualifies as a...
What makes a problematic vehicle a “lemon” under the law?
When we purchase a new car from a dealer, we have the right to expect the vehicle to conform and perform to the expectations advertised by the manufacturer, as well as the dealership. However, many cars do roll off the assembly line with problems that were not caught...
What if I buy a car that’s been in an undisclosed accident?
Buying a used car always is a little bit of a gamble. You may choose to buy a car from an auto dealer because you feel better about that than buying one from a private party. However, auto dealers sometimes are sneaky and may try to sell you a car without disclosing...